The Photography of Dr. Jeffrey P. Harper

I joined a van full of co-workers for the 90 minute drive up the Deeside Valley to the hamlet of Braemar, famous for the Queen's summer residence and the annual Braemar Gathering and Highland Games.

The Braemar is a gathering of the Scottish Clans, (bag)pipe bands, and competitors in a variety of traditional Highland Games.

Pipe and drum bands from all over Scotland attended.

The sound of the bands marching in one-by-one into the games arena was fantastically moving.

It doesn't get more Scottish than this!

Each band reflected their clan affiliation through the wearing of the clan tartan.  Historians note a total of 89 main clans which have innumerous sub-clans or septs.

Pipe band members are not confined to men only.  There are many women and young people involved in pipe bands.

Pipe bands are a family affair.

All ages participate.

Loitering drummers waiting to enter the arena.

 Not all of the marching Highlanders were musicians.

There were also units of historic Highlander troops present as well.

The Scottish people have a strong sense of national identity . . . and pride in their heritage.

All the parts of a kilt have symbolic meaning.

I like that the piper bands are open to women members. Good on you Scots!

Lovely feathered head gear buffeted by the wind.  The bands had arrive . . . now for a walk around the old mountain village of Braemar.

Braemar is the nearest town to the Queen of Englands summer home, Balmoral Castle.

Most of the houses here are of the traditional Scottish construction: Aberdeen grey granite and slate roofs.

Iver Cottage in Braemar.  Sweet.

These wooden blocks spun in the wind . . . to scare birds from the garden.

I love how people here name their houses.  The name of the house is also it's address.  If you wanted to send a letter here you would only have to address it "Downfield, Braemar, UK."

I love exploring these small Scottish villages.  Here, a garden shed.

This garden gate tells the story of a very wet climate.

There is a small commercial district in Braemar where I encountered this old busker.

I dropped a pound coin in his cup and asked him if I could take some photographs . . . he nodded yes.

There were two churches in Braemar.

A wonderful old church door.

The back door of the church stood wide open . . . so I went right in.

Wonderful light spilled into this quiet space . . . far from the crowds at the Highland Games.

Quiet and serene.

The church interior was simple and beautiful.

After a so-so hot dog and crisps, I made my way back to my assigned seat in the grandstands.

Pipe bands took turns supplying the music in the main competition arena.

Each pipe band was led by a flamboyant drum major.

The games' security was provided by these kilted stewards.

Several Highlands games, and traditional dancing, went on at the same time in the arena.

The start of the 6 mile 'Hill Run' - a grueling race up the steep 'hill' that served as a backdrop to the games.

The hill runners had to run up a set path, but they could come down any way and on any route they chose.

The cut, scratched, and bruised returning hill runners returned to large applause in the arena.

The Tug-O-War event took place directly in front of or stands.

Tug-O-War is a very dramatic sport. 

The crowd cheered loudly at each pull.

Great human struggle.

A Tug-O-War is a very photogenic thing.

Several of the Tug-O-War teams represented military units.

The Caber Toss involves tossing a caber,made from a  "Larch tree and is typically 19 feet 6 inches (5.94 m) tall and weighs 175 pounds (79 kg)."

The Queen and Prince Charles arrived from their nearby castle at mid afternoon.

The Royals took their place in the Royal Shed.  The crowd around me was abuzz because The Queen was not in her traditional pastel colors, but a bold, primary red! OMG!

The Royals stood to review the entering massed pipe band and Highland military units.

. . . and in marched the massed pipe band . . . amazing!

Hundreds of bag pipes playing together is a sound that cannot be described.

In addition to the fantastic sound of it, the visual spectacle is impressive.

Impressive indeed!

Many Highland military units marched in as well.

The Queen seemed to enjoy the day.

Beautiful regimental flag.

The last event was a sack race for the children, of course.

You've got to admire the Scot's respect and reverence for tradition.

A tradition at the International School Aberdeen is to take all new faculty, and anybody else who wants to go, on a bus trip up into the highlands of Scotland for a cultural treat.

The "Highland Games" are held all around Scotland during the summer months, but the grand-daddy of them allis the Braemar Gathering. There have been Gatherings of one sort or another at Braemar since the days of King Malcolm Canmore, nine hundred years ago.  Because of its proximity to the Queen's summer residence nearby, she always attends this particular sporting event.  The setting was beautiful, high in the Scottish highlands.

The highland games are just that; a series of competitions run like a three-ring circus.  Traditional games, like tug-o-war, and ancient Scottish games, like caper tossing, vie with more common athletic events like sprint and long distance running, and high and long jumping.

The tug-o-war teams were not just a bunch of buddies, but were from The Royal Air Force, The Royal Navy, Oxford University, and such, there to defend the pride and honor of their organization under the gaze of the Queen and Prince Charles.

This is high stakes tug-o-war . . . . the winning teams receive medals from the Queen herself! The losing teams are sent home.

The sporting events are conducted with a background of bagpipe bands playing from around Scotland performing each in their turn.

The high jump event was announced as the national championship.

The tug-o-war took many rounds to culminate . . .

. . . in the final pulling. 

I enjoyed the tug-o-war . . . it is a very intense event . . . .

. . . with individual and group drama.

Security was provided by guys in skirts with sticks.

The Big Event was the caper toss.

The object is to throw the 19 foot, 6 inch "telephone pole" - the caper . . .

. . . so that the caper lands on it's head and then falls over, away from you.  This was the winning toss.

We took a break from the fever pitch action in the arena to walk into the charming village of Braemar.

Braemar was buzzing with activity . . . mostly with bagpipe bands practicing and warming up for their big moment in the arena and in front of Her Royal Highness.  The sign says "Aberdeen 59" miles.

Many cute and quaint stone houses and cottages lined the main thoroughfare . . . .

Wonderful summer scenes everywhere, but Braemar is just as well known as a winter ski resort.

The town filled up with Highlanders from far and wide, and . . . .

. . . one intrepid and eccentric Scottish busker playing his heart out for many hours.

But mostly the town was full of the mournful sound of dueling bagpipes warming up.

Pipers would find a private space and commence to let wail.

Braemar is the kind of country village where people name their houses . . .

. . . have a sense of humor . . .

. . . and the River Dee, now but a mountain stream, runs through the middle of town.

In site of the "noise" of bagpipers warming up all around him, this poor Highlander was too pooped to pipe.

After a delicious lunch of venison burgers and wedge potatoes, we headed back to the exhibition grounds . . . the mountain weather was beginning to threaten . . . but never rained.

We showed our tickets to these Scottish Lovelies and went back in.

We arrived back none too soon!  The security of the arena took a decidedly serious turn.

All the spectators looked to the Royal Pavilion when the Queen and Prince of England arrived.

The Royals arrived and departed to the fanfare of a marching one hundred-strong bagpipe band.  Fantastic.

Although I had an obstructed view, I also had a long 200mm lens.  There she sat, Stuart tartan on her lap, The Queen, reviewing the marching bagpipers.  Sublime, regal, historic.

The Royalty hung around an hour watching the finals in each event and eventually passing out the medals to the winners . . . . before departing amid an incredible throng of bagpipers and drummers.

You just do not see this many bagpipes in one place every day.  No, you don't.

Herself.

We, along with many thousands of others, soaked in the Scottish Highlands views on our way back to the bus.

Tired and weary, we said good-bye to Braemar.